Spectacle case



June 23, 1953 B. GROSVENOR 2,342,986 SPECTACLE CASE Filed Dec. 16, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTO'R. BENJAMIN GROSVENOR ATTORNEY June 23, 1953 B. GROSVENOR SPECTACLE CASE Filed Dec. 16, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVEN TOR. BENJAMIN 6R0 SVENOR ATTORNEY Patented June 23, 1953 SPECTACLE CASE Benjamin Grosvenoi', Pomfrt, 01mm, assignor to American Optical Company,

Southbridge,

Mass, a. voluntary association of Massachusetts Application December 1c, 1948, Serial No. 65,660

1 Claim. 1

The invention relates to spectacle cases and has. particular reference to cases of the type formed of sheet material folded so as to provide a receptacle for spectacles, and method of making the same. 7

An important object of the invention is. to provide an improved spe-ctaclecase formed of leather, fabric, plastic or other suitable flexible sheet material which can be initially shaped as a blank stamped or otherwise cut out of the desired sheet material, and folded so as to form a pouch having front and rear walls, which walls can be detachably secured so as to maintain their folded positions with respect to one another and method of making the same.

Another object is to provide a spectacle case of the above character which embodies a body of sheet material out to the desired size and shape and folded so as to present overlapping front and back portions, said back portions being of greater length than said front portion and being folded to form a flap overlying said front portion, and connecting means enclosing the ends of said front and back portions detachably secured to said portions for reinforcing the same.

Another object is to provide a spectacle case of the above character embodying front and back portions disposed in superimposed relationship, said portions having vertical slots formed therein with detachable connecting means threaded through said slots to detachably join and reinforce said portions. 7

Another object is to provide a spectacle case of the above character embodying a one-piece body element of a preferred material and of a preferred color, which element is folded to form the desired receptacle and secured in folded position by elongated connecting members which may be of a contrasting material and/or color for decorative asv well as reinforcing purposes.

Another object is to provide a spectacle case of the above character which can be formed of sheet material sov shaped as to require the use of a minimum amount of material and adapted to be manufactured at relatively low cost.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which: 7

Fig. I is a front elevational View of a preferred embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 isan end view of the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 1; i

Fig; 3 is a rear elevational View of the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the blank from which the body portion of the preferred embodiment is formed;

Figs. 5 and 6 are fragmentary plan views of two forms of connecting members used for securing the foIciedparts-of the spectacle case in position; 7

Figs. '7 and 8 are front elevational views or modified forms of spectacle cases in accordance with the present invention; and

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary sectional view of a portion of the inner surface of one of the panels and illustrating particularly the method of securing the ends of the connecting members in place. Referring to the drawings, wherein like char acters of reference designate like part throughout the several views, the preferred embodiment of the invention as shown in Fig. 1 comprises a one-piece bodyelement shaped substantially to the shape illustrated in Fig. 4 and formed of a blank which maybe stamped or otherwise cut out of flexible sheet material of the type desired such as leather, fabric, plastic or the like and consists of a back panel portion ID, a front panel portion H of substantiallythe same width as the back panel portion, and a tapering closure flap portion it. The front panel portion II and back panel portion iii are folded so thatthe fold will be' located'at the bottom to form a pouch or pocket an'd, .{the closure flap portion I2 folded downwardly in overlapping relation to the front surface of the front panel I has illustrated in Fig to form a cover for the top opening of the pouch.

To'seal the ends of the porch'there is provided an elongated connecting member or strap l3 (Fig. 5) which is adapted to. extend longitudinally across the outer surfaceaof the front panel II, the front panel ll being provided with spaced pairs ofvertically disposed slits l 4 through which the strap l3.is threaded"witl1 the. major portion of the tab I 3' midway of the panel and the portions adjacent each end thereof being disposed ontheoutersurface 01 the panel. The strap I3 is "ofsufficient length to extend around the ends of the pouch, its portions. adjacent its ends disposed in overlying relation to the back panel It.

The straps (3 are provided with enlarged end portions l which are adapted to project inwardly of the pouch through slits is formed in the back panel iii, the slits it being substantially shorter than the width of the end portions l5 of the straps l3 so that the tabs IS will be held securely therein. The end portions l5 of the straps I3 may be shaped in various manners such as by providing them with a substantial arrowhead" design such as illustrated in Fig. 6, the important factor being to provide the enlarged portion 5 with a width greater than the length of the slits i6. Such-a means for detachably securing the straps I3 to the adjacent panel of the pouch is shown in Fig. 9 wherein it can be seen that only the enlarged end portion 15 resides within the interior of the pouch.

A snap fastener I! such as a type embodying cooperative male and female elements serves to retain the flap l2 in fixed relation to the front panel H. The male element 18 is preferably secured by conventional means to both the front panel II and the strap [3 thereby providing additional means for retaining the strap [3 in desired position with respect to the front panel [0, with the female element l9 mounted in the closure flap [2 being adapted to cooperate with the element 18 to position the flap 12 so as to prevent spectacles carried by the resultant case from becoming dislocated.

A block 29 of suitable size and shape (Fig. 2) may be cemented or otherwise secured within the pouch to the front or back panel or both to partition the pouch for providing means for cating a pair of spectacles in the pouch. The spectacles are placed in the pouch with the nose pads thereof embracing the block 20 and the temples are folded into closed position with respect to the lenses so that the spectacles will rest properly in the pouch. The block 20 serves as well to protect the spectacles from damage due to pressure which may be applied in closing the snap fastener II.

It is sometimes desirable to entirely eliminate the snap fastener I1 and in such a case the closure flap [2 may be formed substantially to the shape shown in dot-dash outline in Fig. 4. In this modified construction the flap I2 may be inserted between the locking tab I3 and the central portion of the front panel II as shown in Fig. 8.

The spectacle case illustrated in Fig. 7 is formed similarly to the preferred embodiment. However, the strap l3 in the modified form is adapted to extend entirely across the outer surface of the back panel In, around the ends of the pouch and has portions extending part way across the outer surface of the front panel I l, withthe end portions being inserted through the slits 16, which in this instance are formed in the front panel, and anchored therein. In such a case the back panel IE] is preferably provided with means such as the spaced paired slits 14 through which the strap 13 will be threaded and so prevented from displacement.

In producing a spectacle case in accordance with the construction illustrated in Fig. 1, the body portion forming the pouch will be preferably initially stamped from the desired flexible sheet material and the slits l4 and It will preferably be formed simultaneously to the blanking out operation. If the spectacle case is to be constructed in accordance with the design illustrated in Fig. 7 the preferred initial procedure to be followed will be similar to that for the preferred case with the exception that the slits will be positioned substantially as shown in dotted outline in Fig. 4 rather than as shown in solid outline as for the preferred embodiment as per Fig. 1.

It will be understood that the straps [3 will substantially reinforce the front and back panels In and II respectively. The straps I3 may be formed of a material and color similar to the body portion of the spectacle case but for providing additional reinforcing means for the panels they may be formed of a different material, if desired, such, for example, as forming them of a light flexible metallic or plastic material for reinforcing a pouch formed of fabric or the like. In addition to this desirable feature, the straps l3 may be provided in contrasting colors to the body portion of the pouch which will increase the decorative effect to enhance the appearance of the final product.

The foregoing specification describes an improved spectacle case formed of sheet material having its front and back portions retained in position with respect to one another by simple and eflicient detachable connecting means which connecting means provides reinforcing means for the case as well as decorative effect therefor.

While certain novel features of the invention have been shown and described and are pointed out in the annexed claim, it will be understood that various omissions, substitutions and changes in the formation and details of the device illustrated and in its use may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

A stitchless spectacle case comprising a body portion formed of a one-piece blank of flexible sheet material folded along a first line of fold to form a pouch having a front panel and a rear panel and with open sides and top, the rear panel having an extended portion foldable over the outer surface of the front panel as a flap to cover the open top of said pouch, connection means carried by said front pane]. and said flap for detachably connecting said flap in place on the outer surface of said front panel, and spacer means secured interiorl of the pouch to one of said panels adjacent the first line of fold and substantially centrally of the opposed sides thereof, said front and rear panels each having spaced slits disposed approximately normal to said first line of fold, said slits on each panel bein located on opposite sides of said centrally secured spacer means and inwardly of the open sides of the pouch, and a strap-like member having portions of a width no greater than and being capable of being threaded in said slits and terminating in enlarged opposed ends having a width greater than the length of said slits to provide abutment surfaces on the side of said enlarged ends opposite the end surface thereof and which extend outwardly of the opposite sides of the adjacent portionsof thestrap-like member, and said straplike memberbeing threaded through the spaced slits in one of said panels in such manner that each of its opposed end portions extend over the outer surface of said panel between-the respective side thereof and the slit nearest said side,

thence being wrapped about the open sides of the pouch ontothe outer surface of the other panel and'having its ends extended through'the respective slits of said other panel nearest to the respective side of the pouch about which said end portions are wrapped, said enlarged ends lying on the inner surface of said panel in spaced BENJAMIN GROSVENOR.

References Cited in the file of this patent Number 10 Number UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Barracks 1 Nov. 11, 1919 Ogden Mar. 26, 1946 Feld Aug. 12, 1947 Mittell Apr. 27, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain July 5, 1923 France June 16, 1916 

